THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for coming. Laura and I are honored to welcome
you here to the South Lawn. Welcome to the people's house. (Applause.)
First, I'd like to thank Katy Benko for singing the national anthem.
It's not only a beautiful morning to sing the national anthem, it's a
beautiful setting in which to sing the national anthem. Katy's husband,
Ryan, is deployed to Iraq. Katy, make sure you email him and tell him
how appreciative we are of your service, and tell him how appreciative
all of us are of your voice. (Applause.)

Laura and I want to thank the members of our -- my administration for
joining us. Mr. Vice President, we're really thrilled you're here.
Thank you for coming, sir. (Applause.) Secretary of State Condi Rice
is with us today. Madam Secretary, appreciate you being here.
(Applause.) Secretary Jim Nicholson of the Veterans Affairs
Administration; thanks for coming, Jim. (Applause.)

For you veterans who are here, there is no more solemn obligation by
your government to make sure you have all it takes to -- for your health
care, and for your support. I feel a very strong obligation, since it
was my decision that committed young men and women into combat, to make
sure our veterans who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan get all
the help this government can possibly provide. (Applause.)

I appreciate the Secretary of the Army, Pete Geren, for joining us; the
Secretary of the Navy, Don Winter; General "Hoss" Cartwright, Vice
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his wife Sandee. By the way,
General Cartwright is a Marine. (Applause.) I'm not playing to the
crowd or anything. (Laughter.)

I want to welcome members of this crowd who have lost a loved one in
this war against terror. Our hearts go out to you. We love you. The
best way to honor the sacrifices that your loved one made, as well as
the sacrifice you have made, is to accomplish the mission, is to achieve
the peace. (Applause.)

Laura and I welcome the families who have got a loved one overseas,
whether it be in Iraq or Afghanistan, fighting these extremists and
terrorists. The best way to honor your loved one is to make sure that
he or she has the full support of the United States government as you
accomplish the mission that we have set. (Applause.) By the way, for
the loved ones here, I fully understand the best way to sustain a
volunteer army is to make sure you're happy -- (laughter) -- is to make
sure you've got good housing; to make sure that you've got good health
care; to make sure that you understand that we know that you're in this
fight along with your husband or wife or son or daughter. And that's
exactly how this administration feels. (Applause.)

For the veterans who are here, for those of you who are veterans in Iraq
and Afghanistan, thank you for volunteering in the face of danger.
(Applause.) And for the people who aren't veterans yet, still remain on
active duty, thanks for wearing the uniform of the greatest country on
the face of the Earth. We're proud of you. (Applause.)

I want to thank the service organizations and those who have come
together to support our families and our troops. I can't tell you how
important it is for organizations like the Vets for Freedom or the VFW
or the American Legion and other groups to -- Gold Star Mothers, got
you, okay, thank you -- Blue Star Mothers, Gold Star Mothers, all the
mothers, yes. (Applause.) Every day is Mother's Day as far as your
concerned, isn't it? (Laughter.)

AUDIENCE MEMBER: Don't forget the dads.

THE PRESIDENT: And the dads, yes. I knew this was going to happen.
(Laughter.) Yes, the wives; okay, fine. (Laughter.) Everybody is
supporting our troops. I want to thank you for doing it. (Applause.)

It's important people hear from you. It's important people hear your
voice. And I want to thank you for organizing. I want to thank you not
only for the grassroots support of our families, I want to thank you for
going up to Capitol Hill. And here's a message I hope you deliver: The
Commander-in-Chief wants to succeed -- (applause) -- and the
Commander-in-Chief takes seriously the recommendations of our military
commanders. General Petraeus came back to the United States to deliver
the recommendations he made to me. Inherent in his recommendations is,
one, his belief we're succeeding, his belief we will succeed, and I ask
the United States Congress to support the troop levels and the
strategies I have embraced. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: USA! USA! USA!

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. When the history books are finally
written about this chapter in the war against extremists and radicals,
they will recognize certain truths: one, that we recognize that if we
were to retreat from the Middle East the enemy would not be content to
remain where they are, but they would follow us here. We recognize that
the best way to protect our homeland is to defeat an enemy overseas so
we do not have to face them here on the streets of America. And we
recognize that liberty is powerful, that liberty will yield the peace
that we want for generations to come; that will recognize that this
generation of Americans did the hard work now, so that future
generations could live in security and peace.

And so on this beautiful morning we thank you for your steadfast
resolve, we appreciate your support of those brave souls who have
volunteered in the face of the danger. We ask for God's blessings on
the families and our troop in harm's way. And we thank you from the
bottom of our collective hearts. God bless you all. (Applause.)